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Barrie Barnes writes We were very interested to read the article by Anthony Peregrine and look at the 50 escorted tours in last Saturday’s Telegraph. This is exactly what we want to do but we seem to be having a problem finding suitable tours in Britain and Europe. We live in Bournemouth in Dorset, not in the metropolis that is London, and it seems to us that there are no luxury coach tours that cater for our area. We have local firms who are very good, but unfortunately the tours are very basic and paired down on cost. All we want is a nice luxury coach with plenty of legroom (I am 6ft tall), nice four or five star hotels and routes that don’t require too many miles in one go. I wonder if you could suggest any companies that might be able to help us in our quest.

Sophie Butler, escorted tours expert, replies Coach specialist Titan Travel (0800 988 5859; titantravel.co.uk) includes a “VIP Home Departure Service” from all UK addresses for its British tours. On the eight-day “Harrogate and York” itinerary, you are picked up from your door and taken to the first night’s hotel. Prices start at £795 per person, based on two sharing a room, including two dinners and excursions, departing on July 23 and October 1. New to its UK programme is a selection of RHS Garden Holidays, organised in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society visiting flower shows and privately owned gardens in the company of experts.

You don’t mention whether you are happy to fly as well as travel by coach, but upmarket European coach tours generally depend on flights or Eurostar travel. Insight Vacations (0800 206 1468; insightvacations.com) provides private door-to-door, airport transfers and uses centrally located, top-end hotels. Tours spend a minimum of three nights in each destination allowing plenty of time to unwind and explore. Coaches have business class seating with plenty of legroom, which means group sizes are kept small. European tours in 2014 include the ten-day “Easy Pace Italy”, visiting Rome, Florence, Pisa, Verona and Venice (from £2,499) or “Easy Pace France” for Paris, Provence and the Cote d’Azur (from £2,665).

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About Sophie Butler

Sophie Butler offers advice on a variety of issues, from insurance and car hire to holiday money and compensation.